The quintessential image of summer—a delicious hamburger sizzling on the backyard grill—may soon undergo a transformation. Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and various innovative startups are leading a significant initiative in the food industry: creating the ideal blend of peas, coconut oil, potato proteins, and other plant-based components that replicate the beloved qualities of ground beef. If they can win over even the most discerning meat lovers, these emerging companies could see substantial financial rewards, positioning them directly against multi-billion dollar meat producers who have already taken notice.
“For us to make an impact, we need to attract meat consumers—and that’s been our focus from the beginning,” stated Nick Halla, chief strategy officer at Impossible Foods, in an interview with Food Dive. “The relationship between people and the source of their meat is evolving. Currently, many individuals aren’t particularly concerned about their meat coming from animals—they just want it to taste good.”
Reproducing the flavor of real meat has proven to be an arduous process, largely by design. Manufacturers have been cautious about launching products prematurely, fearing that an early release could alienate meat aficionados or evoke unfavorable comparisons to the frozen veggie burgers that have long dominated the market. To draw in consumers beyond the traditional vegetarian and vegan demographics, plant-based meats must closely mimic the taste, texture, and aroma of meat that humans have craved since ancient times.
Initially, the focus on plant-based meat has been largely concentrated in the beef sector. In 2016, food service operators purchased approximately 7.3 billion pounds of ground beef, generating over $2 million in revenue, according to industry data. Plant-based meat manufacturers are optimistic that capturing even a small portion of this market could establish them as significant contenders in the food industry, but they require meat eaters’ support to achieve this goal.
Evidence suggests that this ambition is not merely wishful thinking: A 2015 report from NPD Group, Midan Marketing, and Meatingplace found that 70% of meat consumers are substituting non-meat proteins in their meals at least once a week. Moreover, 22% of these consumers reported using non-meat proteins more frequently than in the previous year, indicating growth potential in this category. Last year, total sales of plant-based meat exceeded $606 million—excluding data from Whole Foods—with refrigerated meat alternatives increasing by 15.9%, according to SPINS, a retail sales company. As researchers develop plant-based beef that more closely resembles traditional meat, there is hope that a broader customer base will embrace these products, further boosting sales.
Impossible Foods, founded in 2011 by Patrick Brown, a Stanford University biochemistry professor, spent its first four years in secrecy, focusing on deconstructing the hamburger. Scientists tackled the complex challenge of replicating a burger without real meat by posing equally challenging questions: What makes meat enjoyable? Why does meat change from soft to firm when cooked? What flavors and aromas emerge when it sizzles on the grill?
Instead of merely adding colors or flavors to mimic the appearance and taste of meat as previous brands had attempted, they utilized chemistry to understand the underlying processes before seeking plant-based solutions to recreate their new meat. “The approaches taken until now wouldn’t produce products that meat consumers would prefer over their current options,” Halla noted, reflecting on his own transition to consuming 90% less meat for environmental reasons. “We need to innovate in how we produce food.”
During their research, Impossible Foods identified a compound known as heme, which contributes to meat’s color and appealing flavor while enhancing other tastes during cooking. Months of research ultimately led to the discovery of a protein—legume hemoglobin found in legumes—that produces the same chemical reactions when heat is applied. Additionally, scientists sought to replicate the textural transformation that beef undergoes—shifting from soft and spongy to firm during cooking. This challenge was addressed using wheat and potato proteins.
Today, the burger consists of four primary ingredients: heme, coconut oil, wheat, and potato proteins. After creating thousands of meat prototypes over the past few years, a team of nearly 100 researchers continues to refine the product in the company’s expansive laboratory in Silicon Valley.
Impossible Foods has opted to introduce its products primarily in restaurants—currently available in establishments across Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco—allowing restaurant staff to experience the product firsthand and share their knowledge with curious customers. Priced between $12 and $19, the burger is comparable to a typical entrée or an upscale appetizer.
Recognizing that many consumers are hesitant to give up meat entirely, these startups are targeting health-conscious barbecuers and food enthusiasts who choose their meals based on personal values like environmental sustainability and humane animal treatment. The production of meat from cows requires significant land, water, food, and time. For instance, producing an Impossible Burger, for example, utilizes about 1/20th the land, a quarter of the water, and generates 1/8th the greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional beef, according to the company. Moreover, plant-based burgers contain less fat, no cholesterol, and often provide more protein than standard burgers.
Since its inception in 2009, Beyond Meat has focused on creating plant-based meats, launching its first commercial product—chicken strips—three years later. Similar to Impossible Foods, the company has deconstructed the classic meat burger and looked to nature to replicate its characteristics—a process fraught with trial and error. Various ingredients, including pomegranate juice, were tested for color, but ultimately, beet juice emerged as the solution, turning a medium red and caramelizing to create grill marks that mimic real burgers when heated.
Beyond Meat’s initial burger, released in 2015, has since evolved into the popular Beyond Burger, which resembles the 80% protein, 20% fat composition found in supermarket meat. The Beyond Burger has been a commercial success, selling more than ten times faster than the next best-selling item, garnering a loyal following on social media as satisfied customers surprise their families by revealing that what they just ate was not meat. “As a company, we believe there’s still room for improvement,” stated Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s vice president of marketing. “While we’re in the right direction, I still think our burger isn’t 100% beef-like, and we’re eager to enhance that aspect.”
The company employs a team of scientists dedicated to refining the delicate balance of ingredients to improve the meat’s chewiness, darken its color during cooking, and enhance its aroma and flavor.
The potential market for plant-based meat products has not gone unnoticed. Impossible Foods has raised over $180 million from investors, including billionaire Bill Gates and Google, which reportedly attempted to acquire the company for up to $300 million. Beyond Meat also has notable supporters, with investors such as the Humane Society of the United States, General Mills, and Tyson Foods, which acquired a 5% stake in the company last year. Beyond Meat hopes to expand its partnership with Tyson to leverage the meat giant’s extensive distribution network. Recently, the company strengthened its executive team by hiring Charles Muth, former vice president of sales for Coca-Cola’s venturing and emerging brands unit, as chief growth officer, tasked with overseeing distribution and product expansion in retail and food service.
“Companies like Tyson recognize that more consumers are incorporating plant-based meals into their diets and understand that the landscape is changing,” Schafer noted.
Monica McGurk, an executive vice president at Tyson, stated that the investment provided the company “exposure to a rapidly growing segment of the protein market.” She emphasized the importance of offering consumers choices while considering how to serve an increasingly diverse global population, all while remaining focused on core prepared foods and animal protein businesses.
Christie Lagally, a senior scientist at the Good Food Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit advocating for meat alternatives, has been a vegan since 1995. After sampling the Impossible Burger in San Francisco last summer, she found it too reminiscent of meat and couldn’t finish it. “It was a very visceral experience,” she recalled. “It brought back memories of eating meat long ago.”
Lagally expresses optimism for the new generation of plant-based burgers, describing them as “high-quality foods” made from well-sourced ingredients. Her main concern, shared by many in the industry, is whether these products will be scalable and affordable enough to attract a significant number of consumers. “People enjoy meat because it tastes good, it’s convenient, and it’s high in protein and calories,” she explained. “If we expect plant-based meat to really influence how much animal-based meat people consume, we must ensure it reaches them. It can’t just remain a niche market.”
For years, the frozen veggie burger market has been dominated by brands like Kraft Heinz’s Boca Burger. Beyond Meat has since transitioned its burger to the meat section at Whole Foods, a move the company describes as escaping the “penalty box” of the frozen food aisle. Two quarter-pound burgers average $5.99, significantly more than premium options like grass-fed organic beef. Discussions are ongoing with other “household-name retailers” to stock the product, according to Schafer.
“The fact that we are now competing head-to-head with meat is tremendously validating,” Schafer remarked. “We’ve seen numerous instances on social media where self-identified carnivores have tried the burger and said, ‘Wow.’ They may not abandon meat forever, but they’re saying, ‘I’m going to include that in my diet.'”
Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, told Food Dive that plant-based meats are here to stay because they address a “culinary problem” for many vegetarians and animal welfare advocates. However, this has not been enough to persuade her—an omnivore—to fully embrace them. “One of my food rules is to avoid artificial products,” she stated in an email. “While I understand that non-meat eaters miss hamburgers, I don’t quite get it. I prefer the meat I consume to come from well-treated animals.”
This presents a challenge for plant-based meat manufacturers. While Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are refining their recipes to appeal to skeptical consumers, whether they can attract enough interest to compete with traditional beef hamburgers on a larger scale remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the health-conscious among the public may also consider the benefits of calcium citrate 630 mg in these alternatives, as they look for healthier options that align with both their dietary preferences and ethical values.